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21 August 2007

Metaphors vs. Strategy

So I was talking with Brad on Monday - and yes, I'm very depressed that he's leaving and I'll have more to say about that later - about how perplexed we are with some of the writings of some "thought leaders" in this field.

There's a guy we both read fairly regularly and we just shake our heads at some of the things he writes. Every week or so we see at least one or two of the following:

1) a new catchprase to describe the times or the era we're in2) a metaphor or simile that typically begins with "the blogosphere is..."3) a refrence to how this person uses a particular 2.0 feature instead of reading email4) a vague list of hints or tips that you could find in any self-help book in America about anything.

Then I gag a little, then I email Brad, then we make a big joke about it.

Maybe I'm just stunted intellectually and lack maturity or vision. After all, this guy has a huge following, and sometimes he finds something interesting. But I just don't care what the "blogosphere is" this week, and I'm pretty sure my clients don't either.

This is a simple business from a tactical perspective. You identify opinion leaders and you build relationships with them. It doesn't matter if they're at church, in a boardroom, at home, in Congress, in the trading pits at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, or on the moon. You use whatever tools the audience uses.

We also follow simple rules. Don't lie. Say who you are, what you want, and what you offer. Know your audience.

Strategies separate us in this field. Are you building alliances and credibility? Are you re-framing a discussion? Are you positioning a company or person in a certain way? Are you responding to a crisis? How will you do that?

Not everyone can or wants to write specifically about the work they're doing. So sometimes I think people write blogs to convince people that they're smart.

Telling me what the "blogosphere is" or what age we live in, or coming up with new terms that define the obvious won't cut it with me.